The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol Reach a Settlement on Cover Art

The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol Reach a Settlement on Cover Art

The iconic banana image of The Velvet Underground & Nico has been causing trouble between the band and cover artist Andy Warhol since the album’s release. It famously started when the band discovered a phallic pink banana behind the cover’s instructions “peel slowly and see,” and it seems the controversy has refused to die. In early 2012, the Velvet Underground sued the Warhol Foundation for attempting to use the banana on Apple merchandise that included cases for the iPhone and iPad. After quite a bit of back-and-forth, the lawsuit is settled after lawyers discovered an agreement that prevents the Warhol Foundation from suing the Velvets for copyright. It’s a bit hard to tell if this means the Warhol Foundation will end up using these images after all, as the banana has been on official Warhol merchandise for years. Nevertheless, the fact that this album continues to make waves is a testament to its power. [via MSN Music]